Hollywood has been good to Paula Hawkins. Following the release of a movie adapted from her novel, The Girl on the Train , the book has become one of the most widely read books at US libraries this year.
A survey of 14 metropolitan libraries by Quartz shows that The Girl on the Train is the most checked-out book at eight of them, and the most checked-out work of fiction at 11.
There was also a strong Wimpy grip on children’s reading in 2016. Jeff Kinney’s series, Diary of a Wimpy Kid , is the top book for kids in seven of the 12 cities that provided children’s breakouts.
Some books’ popularity were driven by library initiatives. For instance, the San Francisco Public Library’s “One City One Book” program encouraged its patrons to read Season of the Witch by David Talbot, shooting it to the top of its most popular book list.
Other books’ popularity are driven by adjacent corners of culture. Ron Chernow’s Alexander Hamilton was the most borrowed nonfiction work in Baltimore. The book was the basis and inspiration for the Tony-award-winning play Hamilton .
Here are the top five books for each category at each library that responded to our requests:
The most popular fiction books of 2016
The Girl on The Train , Paula Hawkins
The Girl on The Train , Paula Hawkins
All the Light We Cannot See , Anthony Doerr
Rogue Lawyer , John Grisham
The Girl on The Train , Paula Hawkins
The Girl on The Train , Paula Hawkins
The Girl on The Train , Paula Hawkins
The Girl on The Train , Paula Hawkins
The Girl on the Train , Paula Hawkins
The Girl on The Train , Paula Hawkins
The Girl on The Train , Paula Hawkins
The Girl on The Train , Paula Hawkins
The Girl on The Train , Paula Hawkins
All the Light We Cannot See , Anthony Doerr
Wilde Lake , Laura Lippman
The Girl on The Train , Paula Hawkins
The Girl on The Train , Paula Hawkins
All the Light We Cannot See , Anthony Doerr
All the Light We Cannot See , Anthony Doerr
Rogue Lawyer , John Grisham
Go Set a Watchman , Harper Lee
The Book Thief , Markus Zusak
All the Light We Cannot See , Anthony Doerr
All the Light We Cannot See , Anthony Doerr
All the Light We Cannot See , Anthony Doerr
Tricky Twenty-two , Janet Evanovich
The Last Mile , David Baldacci
Fates and Furies , Lauren Groff
My Name is Lucy Barton , Elizaveth Strout
The Walking Dead , Robert Kirkman
Go Set a Watchman , Harper Lee
The Nightingale , Kristin Hannah
To Kill a Mocking Bird , Harper Lee
Me Before You , Jojo Moyes
Rogue Lawyer , John Grisham
All the Light We Cannot See , Anthony Doerr
Fates and Furies , Lauren Groff
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao , Junot Diaz
The Last Mile , David Baldacci
Tricky Twenty-two , Janet Evanovich
My Brilliant Friend , Elana Ferrante
The Guilty , David Baldacci
Go Set a Watchman , Harper Lee
My name is Lucy Barton , Elizabeth Strout
Gray Mountain , John Grisham
The Goldfinch , Donna Tartt
All the Light We Cannot See , Anthony Doerr
Go Set a Watchman , Harper Lee
Tricky Twenty-two , Janet Evanovich
My name is Lucy Barton , Elizabeth Strout
Americanah , Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
The Nightingale , Kristin Hannah
NYPD Red 4 , James Patterson
Go Set a Watchman , Harper Lee
All the Light We Cannot See , Anthony Doerr
The Japanese Lover , Isabel Allende
Cross Justice , James Patterson
All the Light We Cannot See , Anthony Doerr
The Last Mile , David Baldacci
The Crossing , Michael Connelly
Go Set a Watchman , Harper Lee
The Nightingale , Kristin Hannah
Fates and Furies , Lauren Groff
The most popular nonfiction books of 2016
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing , Marie Kondo
Alexander Hamilton , Ron Chernow
Between the World and Me , Ta-Nehisi Coates
When Breath Becomes Air , Paul Kalanithi
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing , Marie Kondo
Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up , Marie Kondo
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing , Marie Kondo
Between the World and Me , Ta-Nehisi Coates
Guinness World Records 2016 , –
When Breath Becomes Air , Paul Kalanithi
Season of the Witch , David Talbot
Between the World and Me , Ta-Nehisi Coates
Between the World and Me , Ta-Nehisi Coates
Being Moral: Medicine and What Matters in the End , Atul Gawande
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing , Marie Kondo
The Boys in the Boat , Daniel Brown
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing , Marie Kondo
Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania , Erik Larson
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing , Marie Kondo
Why Not Me? , Mindy Kaling
When Breath Becomes Air , Paul Kalanithi
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing , Marie Kondo
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing , Marie Kondo
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing , Marie Kondo
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing , Marie Kondo
Modern Romance , Aziz Ansari
Modern Romance , Aziz Ansari
Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up , Marie Kondo
When Breath Becomes Air , Paul Kalanithi
Between the World and Me , Ta-Nehisi Coates
Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End , Atul Gawande
When Breath Becomes Air , Paul Kalanithi
Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up , Marie Kondo
Guinness World Records 2016 , –
When Breath Becomes Air , Paul Kalanithi
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing , Marie Kondo
Rising Strong , Brené Brown
Killing Reagan: The Violent Assault That Changed a Presidency , Bill O’Reilly
Modern Romance , Aziz Ansari
Big Magic: Creative living beyond fear , Elizabeth Gilbert
Modern Romance , Aziz Ansari
Modern Romance , Aziz Ansari
The Train to Crystal City: FDR’s Secret Prisoner Exchange Program and America’s Only Family Internment Camp During World War II , Jan Jarboe Russell
Between the World and Me , Ta-Nehisi Coates
Being Moral: Medicine and What Matters in the End , Atul Gawande
When Breath Becomes Air , Paul Kalanithi
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking , Susan Cain
Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology , Leah Remini
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing , Marie Kondo
Being Moral: Medicine and What Matters in the End , Atul Gawande
Rising Strong , Brené Brown
When Breath Becomes Air , Paul Kalanithi
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing , Marie Kondo
The Fire This Time: A New Generation Speaks About Race , Jesmyn Ward
Waiting for Snow in Havana , Carlos MN Eire
Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up , Marie Kondo
Mindy Kaling , Why Not Me?
The most popular children’s books of 2016
Diary of a Wimpy Kid. The Long Haul , Jeff Kinney
Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Old School , Jeff Kinney
Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Cabin Fever , Jeff Kinney
Big Nate Blasts Off , Lincoln Peirce
Pokemon Adventures , Hidenori Kusaka
The Pigeon Needs a Bath! , Mo Willems
Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Old School , Jeff Kinney
Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Old School , Jeff Kinney
Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Old School , Jeff Kinney
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days , Jeff Kinney
Pigs Make Me Sneeze! , Mo Willems
Lets Go for a Drive , Mo Willems
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Parts One and Two , JK Rowling
Big Nate Lives it Up , Lincoln Peirce
Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Old School , Jeff Kinney
Diary of a Wimpy Kid. The Long Haul , Jeff Kinney
Harry Potter and the Socerer’s Stone , JK Rowling
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Parts One and Two , JK Rowling
Green Eggs and Ham , Dr. Seuss
Are You Ready to Play Outside? , Mo Willems
My New Friend is so Fun , Mo Willems
Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, Book 1 , Rick Riordan
Sisters , Raina Telgemeier
Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Old School , Jeff Kinney
Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Old School , Jeff Kinney
Harry Potter and the Socerer’s Stone , JK Rowling
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets , JK Rowling
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Parts One and Two , JK Rowling
Diary of a Wimpy Kid. The Long Haul , Jeff Kinney
Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Rodrick Rules , Jeff Kinney
There’s a bird on your head! , Mo Willems
Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Cabin Fever , Jeff Kinney
Diary of a Wimpy Kid. The Long Haul , Jeff Kinney
A big guy took my ball! , Mo Willems
High Time for Heroes , Mary Pope Osborne
Diary of a Wimpy Kid.The Long Haul , Jeff Kinney
I Really Like Slop! , Mo Willems
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkiban , JK Rowling
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire , JK Rowling
Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Hard Luck , Jeff Kinney
Diary of a Wimpy Kid. The Last Straw , Jeff Kinney
I love my new toy! , Mo Willems
Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Hard Luck , Jeff Kinney
One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish , Dr. Seuss
Tales from a Not So Dorky Drama Queen , Rachel Renee Russell
Lego Ninjago, Masters of Spinjitzu , Tracey West
Waiting is not Easy! , Mo Willems
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix , JK Rowling
Diary of a Wimpy Kid. The Long Haul , Jeff Kinney
Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Dog Days , Jeff Kinney
Diary of a Wimpy Kid. The Ugly Truth , Jeff Kinney
I broke my trunk! , Mo Willems
The number of times a book can be checked out is, of course, limited by the library’s inventory, the speed at which local patrons complete and return books, and the efficiency of library staff in recirculating the title.
The public libraries of Memphis, Philadelphia, San Jose, Houston, Chicago, Jacksonville, Indianapolis, and Phoenix did not provide Quartz with suitable rankings prior to publication.
